Social History - MA

Your Course

About the Social History Postgraduate course

Examine the approaches and methods used by historians, and develop your knowledge of historical trends, processes and events of the past 300 years.

You will have the opportunity to explore a range of social and cultural developments in the history of Britain, Europe and the wider world. Whether working in small groups or individually, you will be guided by an expert teaching team throughout your course. Their historical research in areas such as urban history, the history of crime, environmental history, imperialism, sexuality and gender, migration, popular culture and social movements is of an international standing and will feed into your learning.

Your teaching team will give you the platform to reflect on historical interpretations of the past and also the skills and confidence to conduct your own independent research.

Research Excellence Framework 2014Research Excellence Framework 2014: 38% of our research was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent in the Communication, Culture and Media Studies, Library and Information Management unit.

Did you know?

Our teaching team includes Shane Ewen, the British representative on the European Association of Urban History, Stephen Mosley, environmental history expert, and Alison Oram, leading member of the Social History Society.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS 6.5 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification.

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website.

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS 6.5 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification.

Verify your qualifications

If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

Need to improve your English Language skills?

Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.

More questions?

No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS:

IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website.

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS:

IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.

Verify your qualifications

If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

Need to improve your English Language skills?

Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.

More questions?

No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS 6.5 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification.

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website.

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS 6.5 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification.

Verify your qualifications

If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

Need to improve your English Language skills?

Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.

More questions?

No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS:

IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website.

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Requirements:Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or Human Geography, at least a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of an aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
All applicants should satisfy our University English language requirements, please access further details at this link

IELTS:

IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.

Verify your qualifications

If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

Need to improve your English Language skills?

Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.

More questions?

No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.

Careers

Careers

Having done my undergraduate degree at Leeds Beckett, I wanted to challenge myself further and decided to do my masters. The modules were really interesting and the smaller class sizes meant they were very enriching and involving. My studies taught me how to research effectively and present concisely - these are vital skills in my role with the RSPB.

You will develop a range of transferable skills valued by employers in areas such as teaching, local government, administration, management, the civil service, marketing, public relations and the non-profit sector. Your course will also provide you with an excellent grounding should you want to pursue further postgraduate study.

Teacher

Historical Researcher

Lecturer

Journalist

Your future career is our business. That's why we offer further study opportunities across all our subject areas. Our postgraduate courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt, benefit from our links with industry and give you a CV that will catch the eye of employers.

Our dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

MODULES & LEARNING

This is an introduction to research skills and methods, exploring libraries, sources, archives and treatments of history through the theme of war. You will analyse the relationships between literary texts, historical documents, and films, as well as scrutinising how World War Two has been recorded, historicised, fictionalised and dramatised.

Dissertation

You will undertake a sustained piece of research in social history on a topic selected by yourself and involving the use of both primary and secondary sources.You will design, plan, manage and complete a sustained research project, presenting your findings both orally and in writing.

Debating the Documents of Life in 20th-Century History

Over the last 30 years, there has been an increased interest in life writings, or 'documents of life', which include autobiographies and biographies, diaries, letters, testimonies and oral histories. You will explore questions concerning authenticity, memory, narrative and moral authority and their implications for the use of life writings as historical sources.

European Cities: Making Urban Landscapes & Cultures since c.1945

You will examine urbanisation and metropolitan cultures of the cities within Europe during the second-half of the 20th Century. We will ask you to consider the relationship between cities and the social, economic, political and cultural policies of local, national and supranational governments and other governing bodies.

Fame, Hero-Worship & Celebrity Culture c.1750-c.1914

Study the emergence of celebrity culture in Europe and North America. You will consider the extent to which modern theories of celebrity can be applied to historic contexts, and we will encourage you to engage with a range of non-traditional source materials, including photographs and other material objects.

From Field to Fork: Food History in a Global World

Bringing together recent research in environmental history and the histories of food and eating, you will look at how food has been grown, transported and consumed in the western world since the Columbian Exchange of 1492.

Journeys & Discoveries: Travel, Tourism & Exploration 1768-1996

Consider journeys, voyages and discoveries as recounted in travel journals, guidebooks, colonial texts, memoirs, fiction, letters and ethnographic studies. You will consider these representations against the backdrop of the histories of travel, tourism and exploration.

Nature, Culture & Society: Explorations in Environmental History

Combine the study of social, cultural and environmental history to explore the changing relationship between people and their environments. You will focus on the United States, Europe and European settler societies over the last two centuries.

Organised Crime in the Modern World: Global Criminal Cultures

Throughout history, as societies have become more organised, so too have their criminals. You will study a range of criminal organisations, exploring the role organised crime has played in both shaping and reacting to the ebb and flow of power and socio-economic development in the modern world.

Other Victorians: The Neo-Victorian Contemporary Novel

You will use pastiches, rewritings and parodies of the 19th-Century novel to consider how we are 'other Victorians' and the role of the 'other' in Victorian society.

Sexuality, Gender & Popular Culture in Britain 1918-1970

According to some theorists, a preoccupation with sexuality is one of the defining features of Western modernity. You will explore current debates, relevant theoretical approaches and will be introduced to a range of source material including newspaper reports, film and popular literature.

You will study the representation of crime, criminals and police during a period which witnessed key changes in the criminal justice system, the rise of a policed society, and the emergence of print culture.

Rethinking the Past: Definitions, Concepts & Approaches to Public History

Examine the changing nature of public history since the mid-20th Century. You will explore specific case studies and learn about the skills and resources used by public historians.

All Consuming: Researching 18th-Century Material Culture

Drawing on local and national collections, you will discover that studying material culture can illuminate the social and cultural life of the long 18th Century (c.1688/9-1830s).

*These modules rotate on an annual basis. Not all modules listed may be available in your year of entry.

You will work in small groups or individually with research-active historians throughout your period of study. The School of Cultural Studies & Humanities has strengths in many areas and you will benefit from the expertise of our academic staff in a range of areas, including urban history, the history of crime, environmental history, imperialism, sexuality and gender, migration, popular culture and social movement history.

Dr Grainne GoodwinDr Grainne Goodwin

Senior Lecturer

Our course is taught by world-class researchers who specialise in areas such as environmental history, national and global histories of crime and urban history. You’ll also have opportunities to participate in rich and lively historical research outside of class through the Centre for Culture and the Arts, Leeds Cultural History Seminar programme and the Royal Historical Society Postgraduate Speakers Series.

Grainne's research explores the evolution of the modern travel guidebook through the John Murray's Handbook for Travellers series, which covered countries as far afield as India, Switzerland and Japan. She is currently working on a book on these pioneering Victorian travel guides connecting themes of modernity, tourism and travel publishing, which feed directly into the module 'Journeys and Discoveries' which you'll be taught on this course.

Postgraduate Study - Invest in yourself

The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2017/18 is £5200. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.See further information on financing your studies.

The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2017/18 is £10500. The amount you will pay is fixed at this level for each year of your course.
See further information on fees and finance on our Financing Your Studies webpage.

The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2016/17 is £4600. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.See further information on financing your studies.

The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2016/17 is £10300. The amount you will pay is fixed at this level for each year of your course.
See further information on fees and finance on our Financing Your Studies webpage.

Studying part-time gives you the flexibility to learn at your own pace. Because of this, our tuition fees are calculated using credit points. Each module you study has a credit point value. Most taught postgraduate modules have a credit point value of 20.
The tuition fee for students entering in in 2017/18 on this course is £577.6 for each 20 credit point module.
For modules with a different credit point value their cost can be calculated by multiplying the credit value of the module by the cost per credit point of £28.88. The amount you will pay may increase each year in line with inflation.
See further information on financing your studies.

Part-time rates for international students are not automatically displayed as there are specific visa requirements which generally limit students to study in the UK on a full-time basis. Should you wish to query your visa status you can contact Tier4 Compliance@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. If you are able to study on a part-time basis please contact fees@leedsbeckett.ac.uk for further information on course fees.

Studying part-time gives you the flexibility to learn at your own pace. Because of this, our tuition fees are calculated using credit points. Each module you study has a credit point value. Most taught postgraduate modules have a credit point value of 20.
The tuition fee for students entering in in 2016/17 on this course is £511 for each 20 credit point module.
For modules with a different credit point value their cost can be calculated by multiplying the credit value of the module by the cost per credit point of £25.55. The amount you will pay may increase each year in line with inflation.
See further information on financing your studies.

Part-time rates for international students are not automatically displayed as there are specific visa requirements which generally limit students to study in the UK on a full-time basis. Should you wish to query your visa status you can contact Tier4 Compliance@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. If you are able to study on a part-time basis please contact fees@leedsbeckett.ac.uk for further information on course fees.

Facilities

Broadcasting Place

Officially one of the world’s best tall buildings and a big talking point in Leeds, Broadcasting Place is home to our cultural studies and humanities courses. It offers a space for students to join an academic community that plays an active role in shaping contemporary debates about the future direction of those disciplines.

Facilities

Online resources and collections

Whether you want to analyse accounts of 17th-century criminal proceedings from the Old Bailey, sift through more than 355,000 works of English and American poetry, prose and drama or explore the world's largest archive of 20th-century popular culture, our Library's online resources provide easy access to a range of diverse collections.

Facilities

Library

Our Library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, providing you with access to specialist books and journals, learning spaces, computers, multimedia facilities and media equipment hire. Tens of thousands of our Library's digital resources, including ebooks, ejournals and databases, can be accessed online at a time and place to suit you.

Broadcasting Place, City Campus

An amazing place to spend your days

Home to our first-rate sporting facilities – Headingley Campus has a rich and diverse history having played to visitors such as Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde. Set in 100 acres of parkland, with easy access to Leeds city centre, many of our buildings look out onto our grassy acre – a perfect place for hanging out, playing games and catching up with friends on long summer days. Headingley Campus has modern sport science laboratories, animation and music studios and the latest computing labs, as well as one of our libraries, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is not every university that can offer you the chance to study in the best tall building in the world. But we can. Our City Campus is home to such award-winning learning environments as Broadcasting Place, voted best tall building in the world in 2010. Other buildings include the Rose Bowl, home to our Business School, which was awarded Best Commercial Property Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property awards. Just over the road from the Rose Bowl is the Leslie Silver building which houses one of our impressive libraries across five floors. The library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year.

Broadcasting Place, City Campus

An amazing place to spend your days

Home to our first-rate sporting facilities – Headingley Campus has a rich and diverse history having played to visitors such as Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde. Set in 100 acres of parkland, with easy access to Leeds city centre, many of our buildings look out onto our grassy acre – a perfect place for hanging out, playing games and catching up with friends on long summer days. Headingley Campus has modern sport science laboratories, animation and music studios and the latest computing labs, as well as one of our libraries, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is not every university that can offer you the chance to study in the best tall building in the world. But we can. Our City Campus is home to such award-winning learning environments as Broadcasting Place, voted best tall building in the world in 2010. Other buildings include the Rose Bowl, home to our Business School, which was awarded Best Commercial Property Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property awards. Just over the road from the Rose Bowl is the Leslie Silver building which houses one of our impressive libraries across five floors. The library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year.

Broadcasting Place, City Campus

An amazing place to spend your days

Home to our first-rate sporting facilities – Headingley Campus has a rich and diverse history having played to visitors such as Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde. Set in 100 acres of parkland, with easy access to Leeds city centre, many of our buildings look out onto our grassy acre – a perfect place for hanging out, playing games and catching up with friends on long summer days. Headingley Campus has modern sport science laboratories, animation and music studios and the latest computing labs, as well as one of our libraries, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is not every university that can offer you the chance to study in the best tall building in the world. But we can. Our City Campus is home to such award-winning learning environments as Broadcasting Place, voted best tall building in the world in 2010. Other buildings include the Rose Bowl, home to our Business School, which was awarded Best Commercial Property Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property awards. Just over the road from the Rose Bowl is the Leslie Silver building which houses one of our impressive libraries across five floors. The library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year.

Broadcasting Place, City Campus

An amazing place to spend your days

Home to our first-rate sporting facilities – Headingley Campus has a rich and diverse history having played to visitors such as Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde. Set in 100 acres of parkland, with easy access to Leeds city centre, many of our buildings look out onto our grassy acre – a perfect place for hanging out, playing games and catching up with friends on long summer days. Headingley Campus has modern sport science laboratories, animation and music studios and the latest computing labs, as well as one of our libraries, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is not every university that can offer you the chance to study in the best tall building in the world. But we can. Our City Campus is home to such award-winning learning environments as Broadcasting Place, voted best tall building in the world in 2010. Other buildings include the Rose Bowl, home to our Business School, which was awarded Best Commercial Property Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property awards. Just over the road from the Rose Bowl is the Leslie Silver building which houses one of our impressive libraries across five floors. The library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year.

Receive your offer - remember, the sooner you apply the sooner an offer can be made. Please note that certain courses do have set application deadlines so you should check before applying. Some courses may require you to attend an interview or submit a portfolio before an offer can be made.

5

SEND US YOUR RESULTS

If we make you a conditional offer, send us your results as soon as you have these so we can confirm your place.